Hiking GPS Kailua HI

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Satellite Bucks: Making the Most of Your GPS

Not that long ago, it would take the average hunter a few seasons to truly learn the ins and outs of a new area. Typically, he would gain knowledge of the local topography bit-by-bit, mostly by hunting near obvious landmarks such as watercourses, trails, ridgelines, meadows, and clear cuts. And, for a while, this would work just fine.

But, eventually, that hunter would have cause to leave those familiar places and explore. Then, even with map and compass in hand, there would be times when his exact location was a best-guess situation. Needless to say, this is not a desirable thing, especially after discovering a truly great spot that you want to return to.

Thankfully, something straight out of Star Trek has changed all that. Easy to use and incredibly accurate, Global Positioning System units have removed all the guesswork from outdoors navigation. With a press of a button, you can mark interesting and important waypoints (such as your truck or cabin) and return to them with unerring accuracy. Obviously, this has made them a valuable tool for all outdoorsmen, but few benefit more than the deer hunter.

Scouting First and foremost, a GPS is tailor-made for scouting. With one in hand, a hunter can explore his territory and collect vital hunting intelligence far more efficiently than in the old days - that's because he has the assistance of at least three satellites helping triangulate his location at all times.

During initial forays, I'll input trail intersections, bedding areas, rubs, scrapes, and scat. I'll also be sure to mark geographic features that funnel deer, as well as possible food sources, and encounters.

Since you're probably marking many locations - and because almost all GPS units store in excess of 500 waypoints - a bit of organization is needed. Typically, a GPS assigns each waypoint a number - but they also allow you to name the waypoint. I have found that it is a good idea to take advantage of this feature. If you don't you'll soon forget what the original assigned numbers represent.

You don't have to input full names either - that takes time many of us would rather not waste. Instead you can use short forms or initials. For example "S" for scrapes, "B" for bedding areas, "T" for trails, and "F" for food sources to name a few. Using this convention, S2 would then be the second scrape you found, B1, the first bedding area, and so on.

No matter how you organize them, the best part about collecting all these waypoints is that their positions, relative to each other, is made abundantly clear by your GPS. For example, if you are at a scrape line, you might press the "nearest waypoint" function and find out that a bedding area you marked earlier, or on another trip, is only 100 yards away, while the primary food source is just 75 yards over the crest. Obviously, information like this helps in the hunt planning process.

Most modern units also allow you to mark waypoints to topographic maps downloaded on your computer - ...